The present invention relates to surgical instrumentation and techniques, and, more particularly, to surgical instruments and techniques for inserting implants.
Surgery for a patient can be painful and traumatic, particularly in the affected area of the patient's body. For example, the dissection and retraction required to access the surgical site in the patient can cause trauma to the dissected and retracted tissue as well as to the surrounding tissue. The tissue must heal properly for satisfactory patient recovery, and scar tissue can even result when the affected tissue heals.
Tissue dissection and retraction can be required to insert an implant in a patient to a surgical site. Some procedures involve mounting the implant on an instrument that holds the implant as it is inserted to the surgical site. To accommodate implant insertion, sufficient muscle and vasculature and other tissue must be dissected and retracted to allow passage of the implant therethrough.
In certain procedures, multiple incisions and/or large openings in the patient are required to place the implant at the desired anatomical location. In other procedures, the implant must be accessed after implantation to provide the desired fit or positioning relative to the patient. Still other procedures require the implant to be modified for insertion.
There remains a need for instruments and methods that can be employed for implant insertion that minimize or facilitate the minimization of tissue dissection and retraction, exposure of the patient's body to the surgical procedure, and handling or manipulation of an implant during and after insertion. The present invention is directed to meeting these needs, among others.